Baby Band

ABSTRACT

The Baby Band is a chest band with attached toys that are always reachable, in any natural infant position. The infant constantly rediscovers toys when returning hands to a natural resting position. The toy tethers are not long enough to wrap around the infant&#39;s neck or get tangled when the infant rolls over or crawls. The toys compress to flat or near flat to allow for normal movement and development, such as rolling or crawling. The flexible band is adjustable for comfort, can be reversible, and gives enough not to be binding, so the infant can wear it for prolonged periods of time without discomfort, but is securely fastened in the back with a variable fastener, such as hook and loop, to prevent it coming off. Also, the adjustable fastener of the chest band allows it to be worn in any state of dress or undress.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

This disclosure relates generally to a technical field of toymanufacturing and, in one embodiment, to a method, system and apparatusfor a Baby Band.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates in general to the fact that infants areconstantly dropping toys, which the care giver then has to find, pickup, and return to them. While said care giver is searching for the toy,often the infant is in distress, which then causes distress to the caregiver, as well as everyone around them. Studies show that, until the ageof 8-10 months, objects that are out of an infant's sight are believedby said infant to have disappeared forever. Until the milestone ofpermanence is reached, the continued presence of objects is reassuringand can be soothing to an infant.

The earliest patent on file addressing this issue is from 1945. U.S.Pat. No. 2,413,395 uses a full torso harness that attaches to a chairand then has long cords to which attach to toys. In 1959, U.S. Pat. No.3,087,277 uses a similar harness, but with straps that go down the armsof an article of clothing. In 1962, U.S. Pat. No. 3,184,883 also uses abody harness and toys attached to cords.

In 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,613 uses an over the shoulder harness withan attached cord to the chest that can be attached to a bottle or toy.In 2002, U.S. Pat. No. 20020124297A1 uses a band of ribbed elastic withthree elastic cords that toys can be attached to with Velcro loops. In2007, U.S. Pat. No. 20070181754A1 uses a harness that can be adjusted tosituate a bottle or toy at the infant's mouth.

The use of a full torso harness in U.S. Pat. No. 2,413,395 is bulky andit is intended to anchor an infant in a seated position. This makes itboth unusable for infants before they can sit up and cannot be used atall times as a wearable toy. Even if the back strap were removed toallow an older infant to crawl or roll about, the cords could becometangled around the infant's legs and/or other objects. The cords are asafety hazard for another reason, as they are long enough to becometangled around the infant's neck. They are also not placed so that aninfant, with its hands in a natural resting position, would encounterthem. Finally, because the toys are detachable, they could come off orbe pulled off the cords by the infant.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,087,277 also uses a torso harness. It has the limitationof only working under a shirt or similar clothing, as it uses thesleeves to guide it down the arms to be within the reach of the infant'shands. However, if the toys were to fall behind the arm, the infantwould be unable to reach them. Without a shirt of some sort, the toyswould fall too low for the infant and the cords would be long enough totangle around the infant's neck. The harness is also designed only forthe sitting or standing position and will not work when an infant islying down or crawling. The toys are designed to detach and so theycould come off with vigorous play.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,184,883 uses a torso harness, which is bulky and may beuncomfortable for an infant to wear. It uses elastic cords to attachtoys to the harness, which have several downsides. An elastic cord canfray over time and break. If the infant teethes on the cord, it can chewthrough it and possibly choke on a piece of it. If the infant pulls atoy out to the full extent and releases it, while lying down, the toycould hit the infant quite hard in the face and cause pain. Thedetachable toy holders again mean that the toys could come off.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,613 is a band designed to be worn over the shoulderor around the chest. In the shoulder configuration, it would put unevenpressure on the infant's neck and could cause discomfort. It has a cordwhich can attach to a toy or bottle. The toy could come off. Also, ifthe infant were lying down and dropped a bottle or heavy toy from thefull extension of the cord, it could hurt them and cause distress.

U.S. Pat No. 2002012497A1 again uses elastic to form a chest band andstraps from which to hang toys. When worn it has the possibility ofcatching on things and entangling the infant. It is designed only to beworn in a sitting position and so is unfit to wear for long periods oftime or for younger infants. The elastic cords are very long and couldwrap around an infant's neck, causing injury or death. The toys areattached with Velcro loops, which a determined infant can undo; so thetoys could come off and get lost or cause the infant distress.

U.S. Pat No. 20070181754A1 uses a harness to position a bottle or sippycup within an infant's reach. If used when lying down, the infant coulddrop a heavy bottle or hard toy and be hurt. Also, if the infant were toroll over onto the stomach, the bulky bottle, sippy cup, or toy wouldcause discomfort and impede normal movement. If worn often, it couldslow down normal motor skill development, such as rolling or crawling.

Infants bond to “security” blankets or toys and, previously, thesolution to this was to always know where the infant's favorite toy wasand to pick it up and return it when dropped.

It is difficult for a care giver to always know the location of afavorite toy or security object. In addition it is trying and tiring tobe constantly fetching dropped items, only to have to do it again withinminutes of retrieving it. Also, the toys must often be cleaned, as theyare being dropped on the floor or the ground. Even when a toy orsecurity object is quickly returned to an infant, the infant experiencesdistress at the disappearance of it.

From the moment they are physically capable until at least 10 months andoften longer, infants will chew on their shirts to both explore and toteethe. This causes their shirts to be wet and can cause a yeast rash ontheir chests from the continuous moisture.

Previous approaches have not addressed the issue of yeast rashes thatresult from such moisture. However, the most common solution is to havethe infant wear a teething bib at all times and to replace it when it istoo wet.

However, bibs can get turned around on the infant's neck or come undone.They also add a layer of clothing and in the summer can be too hot.Infants can damage their clothing by teething on it also, after theemergence of the first tooth.

Most parents simply try to keep teething toys within reach, put a bib onthe infant, or keep the infant in romper style clothing, which reduces,but does not stop, chewing on clothing.

Teething toys can be dropped or thrown out of reach, bibs can be turnedaround or removed and are hot in the summer, as well as oftenunattractive, and many care givers do not like the look of rompers.Also, rompers, if baggy, can be chewed on as easily as a shirt.

Infants like to have objects in their hands and, when being held, willoften grasp the holder's hair, earring, necklace, glasses, etc. . . .Most parents try to keep toys in the infant's hands at all times orcarry them facing away or in a carrier.

Toys can be dropped, causing the care giver to then have to juggle thetasks of holding the infant and retrieving the items. Studies show thatinfants who always face away from the person carrying them can be overstimulated with no way to turn away from the stimulation. This oftencauses the infant distress. Studies also show that infants like to beheld and so never carrying them is not a viable solution either.

SUMMARY

The disclosure also known as the Baby Band has toys attached to thechest band that are always in reach and are in the natural resting placefor an infant's hands, no matter what position the infant is in. Theinfant cannot lose the toys, as they are attached, and constantlyrediscovers them when returning the hands to a natural resting position.

The toy tethers are not long enough to wrap around the infant's neck orget tangled when the infant rolls over or crawls. The toys are largeenough to be easily gripped by an infant but will compress to flat ornear flat in order to allow for normal movement and development, such asrolling over or crawling.

The flexible band is adjustable for comfort, can be reversible, andgives enough not to be binding, so the infant can wear it for prolongedperiods of time without discomfort but is securely fastened in the backwith a variable fastener, such as hook and loop, to prevent it comingoff. Also, the adjustable fastener of the chest band allows it to beworn without a shirt or with a winter jacket with equal ease.

Studies show that, until the age of 8-10 months, objects that are out ofan infant's sight are believed by said infant to have disappearedforever. Until the milestone of permanence is reached, the continuedpresence of objects is reassuring and can be soothing to an infant.

By being the first wearable infant toy that is suitable for prolongeduse, the Baby Band can be a soothing presence in an infant's life. Muchlike a security blanket, but without the infant being able to drop orthrow it out of sight and reach.

From the moment they are physically capable until at least 10 months andoften longer, infants will chew on their shirts to both explore and toteethe. This causes their shirts to be wet and can cause a yeast rash ontheir chests from the continuous moisture.

The flexible chest band of the Baby Band holds the infant's shirt downso that the infant may not pull it up to the mouth to teethe on.Instead, the infant teethes on the absorbent toys and they absorb thesaliva, keeping the shirt dry. In addition, the band is breathable; sothe chest will get air while it is being worn in the summer heat.

Infants can damage their clothing by teething on it after the emergenceof the first tooth. The Baby Band holds down the infant's shirt toprevent teething on it. The teething toys are made of a durable materialthat can withstand infant teeth more easily than many infant shirtmaterials.

Infants like to have objects in their hands and, when being held, willoften grasp the holder's hair, earring, necklace, glasses, etc. . . . Byproviding an infant with toys that may not be dropped easily, they aremore likely to play with those than to grab at the holder's hair oraccessories. The frequency of the occurrences may be reduced by suchdevice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF DRAWINGS

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in thedrawings the form which is presently preferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view in accordance with the presentinvention showing the detail of materials while unfastened.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view in accordance with the present inventionshowing that it is identical to the front and so is fully reversible.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view in accordance with the present inventionshowing how it appears when fastened.

Drawings and from the Detailed Description are as follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is merely illustrative in nature andis not intended to limit the embodiments of the subject matter or theapplication and uses of such embodiments. As used herein, the word“exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.”Any implementation described herein as exemplary is not necessarily tobe construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations.Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed orimplied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background,brief summary or the following detailed description.

The present invention is a flexible band which attaches around aninfant's chest under the arms and has flat or near flat toys attached tothe band with tethers, in the line of an infant's natural hand position,allowing the infant to have constantly accessible toys to manipulate andteeth on.

FIG. 1 shows a front elevation of the invention, unfastened and laidflat. The depicted example comprises a flexible band (201) which is wornaround an infant's chest under the arms. A short piece of hook (205) andlonger piece of loop (206) are attached to the bad (201) for fastening.This pattern of hook (205) and loop (206) allows for the band (201) tobe adjustable without having any hanging straps. Attached to the top(204) of the band (201) are two flexible tethers (203). The tethers(203) are positioned the correct distance apart so as to hang on theinfant's chest where the hands will cross them when in a natural restingposition. The tethers (203) are of such a length that the infant caneasily reach the toys (202) but not long enough to wrap around the neckor entangle the infant when involved in normal movements. Attached tothe tethers (203) are toys (202) which compress flat and are made offlexible absorbent material.

The adjustability of the fastening enables the invention to be worn byan infant from the time grasping is developed until around one year ofage. A further benefit of the invention is that it is composed ofmachine washable materials and may be laundered as needed.

FIG. 2 show a rear elevation of the invention, unfastened and laid flat.The purpose of this view is to illustrate that the rear is identical tothe front and so the band (201) is fully reversible, allowing for twodistinct designs.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the invention, showing how it wouldappear when worn around an infant's chest. Because of the manner inwhich the tethers (203) are attached to the top (204) of the band (201),the tethers (203) and toys (202) hang slightly away from the band (201),making them more attractive and accessible to the infant.

While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in theforegoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vastnumber of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that theexemplary embodiment or embodiments described herein are not intended tolimit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claimed subjectmatter in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description willprovide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map forimplementing the described embodiment or embodiments. It should beunderstood that various changes can be made in the function andarrangement of elements without departing from the scope defined by thedisclosure, which includes known equivalents and foreseeable equivalentsat the time of filing this patent application.

1. The system and all of its embodiments refer to; a wearable toy bandthat may be worn around an infant's trunk; a variable fastener that maybe used to secure a flexible band; the flexible band to have a top and abottom edge; the top edge to have one or more attached tethers; thetethers to suspend one or more infant toys;
 2. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein; the variable fastener to be hook and loop material; the hookand loop material to be placed in such a manner that the hook materialis always mated to the loop, regardless of adjusted length.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 1, further comprising of, the flexible band to beworn around the infant's chest just below the arms;
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising of, the flexible band to be made fromslightly stretchy material to allow for comfortable long duration use 5.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the flexible band to be made frombreathable material to allow for air flow to infant's person.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein, the tethers to be attached to the topedge in such a way as to suspend them slightly away from the infant'sbody for increased interest and interaction;
 7. The apparatus of claim1, further comprising of, the tethers to be of the correct length andpositioning to cross the natural resting position of an infant's hands,thereby enabling rediscovery and ease of gripping
 8. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein, the tethers to be of the correct length to preventdanger of strangulation or entanglement
 9. The apparatus of claim 1,further comprising of, the tethers and toys to be made of a durablematerial to withstand teething;
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein,the toys to be permanently attached to the tethers to prevent distresscaused by dropping or losing individual or detachable toys and reassureinfant's who have not yet reached the milestone of permanence
 11. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein, the toys to be flat or to compress flatto avoid impeding normal motor development or movement caused byattached bulky toys
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising of,the toys to have textured edges to encourage teething and thedevelopment of fine motor skills through manipulation
 13. The apparatusof claim 1, further comprising of, the toys to be made from an absorbentmaterial to reduce saliva on the infant's clothes or person and therebyreduce the possibility of a teething rash on the infant's chest
 14. Theapparatus of claim 1, further comprising of, The reversible flexibleband;
 15. Claim 2 comprises of An apparatus comprising of: a wearabletoy band to suspend toys where an infant will encounter them when itshands are in a natural resting position; a variable fastener to secure aflexible band to be worn around an infant's chest just below the arms;the flexible band to have a top and a bottom edge; the top edge to havetwo attached tethers that are the correct length and positioning tocross the natural resting position of an infant's hands, therebyenabling rediscovery and ease of gripping; The tethers to suspend one ormore infant toy.
 16. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising of,the variable fastener to be hook and loop material; the hook and loopmaterial to be placed in such a manner that the hook material is alwaysmated to the loop, regardless of adjusted length;
 17. The apparatus ofclaim 2, wherein, the tethers to be attached to the top edge in such away as to suspend them slightly away from the infant's body forincreased interest and interaction.
 18. Claim 3 comprises of; Anapparatus; a wearable toy band to allow for use in any natural infantposition; a variable fastener to secure a flexible band; the flexibleband to have a top and a bottom edge; the top edge to have one or moreattached tethers of the correct length to prevent danger ofstrangulation or entanglement; the tethers to suspend one or more infanttoys which are flat or compress flat to avoid impeding normal motordevelopment or movement caused by attached bulky toys.